Louis C.K. & Harry Shearer Discuss Tracy Morgan On Twitter (SLIDESHOW)

In case it wasn't painfully obvious, HuffPost Comedy is run by comedy nerds. We love nothing more than an in-depth philosophical conversation about comedy as an art form... well, maybe we love adorable cat videos more, but that's it.

So when we happened to catch this conversation between Louis C.K. and Harry Shearer in our twitter feed, we were engrossed. There have been several great pieces that touched on the Tracy Morgan controversy today, including an interview with C.K. by Slate and a response to C.K.'s defense by The Atlantic. But sometimes it's even more interesting to sit back and listen in while two incredibly talented and intelligent comedians debate their craft.

We pieced together the conversation for you below. Let us know your thoughts.

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Harry Shearer

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@theharryshearer
Harry Shearer

@jaketapper @tanehisi @louisck @realtracymorgan Pls distinguish btwn this argument, and pols \"dog whistling\" to core auds..

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comments(214)

Total comments: 214 | Post a Comment

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Comments

[QtheHero]

05:54 PM on 06/27/2011

I think Mr. Morgans comments were wrong and hurtful to those so effected.

[wambouie]

05:13 AM on 06/22/2011

How can it be funny when not everyone is laughing?

[flapjacks5]

01:14 PM on 06/22/2011

So... it's only funny if everybody agrees? You must get offended easily and often.

[LifeinPictures]

10:16 PM on 06/21/2011

Louis C.K. & Harry Shearer are right!! I think, I couldn't understand a F#@! thing they said, but by gum, I know they meant it. FREE TRACY!!

[fredimessina]

05:21 PM on 06/21/2011

I want my gay kidney back!! Now!!!

[snoopjohnny]

04:54 PM on 06/21/2011

In entertainment, things can be funny/not funny or ironic/sincere.....I think it makes a big difference how popular/not popular the entertainer is. In real life, a gentle, caring person can have conflicting beliefs or big gaps in his (or her) understanding of people, sexuality, etc. Then sometimes entertainment and "real life" intersect.....but which is which?

[mfoto1986]

04:42 PM on 06/21/2011

This reminds me of Michael Richards aka Kramer from Seinfeld. When he said the "N" word over and over, a lot of people consider it as Racist. As an African American, I would think the same thing if I hadn't watched the full video. In my opinion, I felt like his intentions were to make a point but somehow the situation got out of control when people started shouting at him and leaving.

The same thing could be said about Tracy, but then again the way he was saying it might sound like he was trying to make a personal views instead of comedy skits. I appriciate the fact that he went out there and met with many LGBTQ community members and educated himself with the things they go through on a daily basis. I would consider that a sencere apology and hope he learned from this experience.

[mrck]

01:16 PM on 06/21/2011

Howard Stern has allowed anti-gay remarks to be made on his show for years, why is no one is asking him to apologize also?

[Bebop210]

03:36 PM on 06/21/2011

Because Stern is an advocate for gay rights and marriage he's talked about his gay cousin in a most human and affectionate way for years now.

[studana51]

11:04 AM on 06/21/2011

Great post, yeah twitter sucks. I like Tracy but he should know better than to get this going.

[rcthomp]

04:36 PM on 06/20/2011

Tracy Morgan says crazy and offensive things- more at 11!

[the grange gorman]

01:30 PM on 06/20/2011

twitter is crap

[Outside The Box]

10:34 AM on 06/20/2011

I saw Tracy Morgan live at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston. He was telling gay jokes, which were CLEARLY intended to be jokes. However, he went off on a tangent, talking about how people need to "Get out of here with that gay s****," telling the crowd how it's wrong and disgusting. It was so clear that he was not joking, people began to leave. He went from telling jokes to giving a lecture on the immorality of homosexuality, which lasted about five minutes. I thought I was going to see Tracy Morgan the SNL comedian/Tracy Jordan. The man on stage that night was admittedly high/drunk and not funny at all.

[silverwing]

11:38 AM on 06/20/2011

That's what happens when he doesn't have a script handed to him, it seems. :-/

Thanks for the input... that's the impression I've been getting from all of this. If he was really meaning to be funny, he would have made his statements so ridiculous and cartoonish that they could never be confused for the truth. In Vino Veritas... or maybe, in this case, "in comedia veritas"? (I don't speak Latin but that sounds about right to me!)

[Infostream]

02:40 AM on 06/20/2011

When I hear Morgan do a comedy bit about how Black homophobic posturing is a cover for all the down low sex Black men have maybe I'll have some respect for his "edgy" humor. How about doing a bit about how Black homophobia cover up of the DL is responsible for the fact 1 out of 10 Black men in DC is HIV positive - could be hilarious - right?

[istanbulite]

04:18 AM on 06/20/2011

Great post!! Lets see what kind of responses you get. If any!! Those subjects may be too close ot home for TM to go after them. The best comedians go after themselves and their communities as well as others, equal opportunity offenders!!

[mfoto1986]

04:30 PM on 06/21/2011

Why would he?? That's your idea of BLACK COMEDY, not Tracy's. Seriously, your idea of Black Homophobic doesn't even sound like a Comedy, more like your political points.

What he said was truly disgusting, and he is apologizing in most sincere ways which I can respect. Usually, you just get a PR apology statement from most celebrities these days.

[lawyersgunsandmoney]

03:07 PM on 06/19/2011

the thing about comedy
is that sometimes you can go
kinda out there,
and people will be disgusted with you,
but if you go WAY out there, suddenly it becomes funny.

i saw the comic/ventriloquist Otto and George,
and he was saying sh-stuff that was SO wrong that it got to be a running gag -
it was SO wrong that we all knew and were in on the joke that he was saying
the wrongest stuff anyone could ever think -
the same is often true of doug stanhope - they go way out there,
and they die for our sins, because secretly, we sometimes think
some of the wrong stuff they are saying -
That Is What A Comedian Does!

tracy morgan was not artful;
in fact, he was trying to do katt williams,
and failed,
hence his major malfunction.

i love comics and comedy,
and like louis c.k., would like to go to bat for tracy,
but his error was sophomoric.

a seasoned professional would have gone even further
to make it known that the joke was a joke -
that is the grace of comedy,
the healing grace,
when we can all laugh at life's cruelest truths...

[HelloAndrew]

02:43 PM on 06/19/2011

None of us can know for certain whether Tracy originally came up with this bit with the intention of it being satirical of homophobia or whether it was intended to be a comic exaggeration.

Exaggeration is just as common if not more common than satire in comedy, including Tracy Morgan's comedy. The bit may have originated as some kind of satire or parody but it may instead have originated in an obvious exaggeration of a genuinely homophobic sentiment.

I certainly don't think Tracy hates sex when I hear him making exaggerated jokes about how much he likes it.

I will take him at his word that it didn't in any way represent his inner feelings, but I do question why Tracy himself and the comedians closest to Tracy, those who have worked with him day in and day out have been the most critical of him.

[pineappaloupe]

03:30 PM on 06/19/2011

Did you see his appearance on a morning show at a small TV station in the south? He was pulling up his shirt and saying how "somebody's gonna get pregnant", and talking about how sex his big belly was. On SNL he frequently played characters that were 'angry, loud, black men'.
And if you hear his interview on Fresh Air, you would know that he is a quiet and loving person, not like his comic persona at all.
The notion that somewhere inside Tracy (the person) are the feelings of hate that were on stage in Tracy (the comic) is ridiculous.
You are right to take Tracy (the person) at his word.

[pineappaloupe]

01:50 PM on 06/19/2011

Here is what the bible says about killing children:
Deuteronomy 21:18-21

18 If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, 19 his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20 They shall say to the elders, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard." 21 Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid.

Good thing no one takes that book seriously.